Capturing a hypnospace dreamscape of science fiction visuals mixed with synth pop tunes in their album “Imaginal Disk,” the musical duo Magdalena Bay played their first Los Angeles show of the United States branch of its tour at the Fonda Theatre on Oct. 2 before approaching the end of the tour on Oct. 3.

Magdalena Bay, composed of Matt Lewin and Mica Tenenbaum, is a musical duo born from the relationship of high school best friends turned creative partners and musicians who focus on pop nostalgia and synth beats. Their debut album, “Mercurial World,” went viral shortly after being released in 2021, receiving top ratings on Pitchfork and now over a million streams per song on Spotify. Magdalena Bay’s latest album release, “Imaginal Disk,” continues to marry the duo’s traditional groovy aesthetic with seamless transitions between songs and powerful synth waves throughout.

Guests eagerly crowded the Fonda Theatre entrance, coming from multiple different lines and sides of the venue. Despite doors opening at 8 p.m., anticipation built up all the way until performances began, with lines stretching outside well past the beginning of showtime.

Once inside, the crowd didn’t alleviate and continued to fill the jam-packed space to the brim. Attendees quickly flooded the bar area, and the merch line spiraled up the staircase as guests prepared for the show.

At 9 p.m., the concert started with an opening performance by Valgur, a musical duo that also plays alternative synth keys, complementing Magdalena Bay’s style. Between the opener and the main act, hyperpop and rap blared through the speakers, keeping the audience at bay. Shortly after, around 10 p.m., the lights dimmed slowly, and the mood lighting set in.

“Welcome to Magdalena Bay’s Imaginal Mystery Tour,” Tenenbaum said. “We’re so happy to have you here tonight. Now listen.”

Slowly dancing its way onto the stage, Magdalena Bay entranced the crowd with a powerful and emotion-filled performance of “She Looked Like Me!” — the opening song of “Imaginal Disk.” From Tenenbaum’s astonishing vocals to Lewin’s strong instrumentals, the performance set a high standard for what was to follow for the rest of the night.

Magdalena Bay did not disappoint. Shortly after the first song, the duo smoothly transitioned to performing “Killing Time” and “True Blue Interlude,” utilizing different synth or keyboard interludes between songs to create a natural flow to the show.

The stage design reflected just as much thought and attention to detail as Magdalena Bay’s own transitions and musical composition. Featuring shaped mood lighting, different colored lenses and an oval display monitor with wing attachments, the stage aesthetic leaned into ethereal science fiction themes, mimicking and alluding to elements from its music videos for the album.

As the show continued, the musical duo transitioned to more high-energy songs such as “Image” and “Secrets (Your Fire),” shaking the Fonda floor. Magdalena Bay was consistently engaged with the audience throughout its performance, prompting lots of dancing, clapping and swaying along to songs for attendees to follow.

The concert setlist follows the order of songs in “Imaginal Disk,” as Magdalena Bay played the album in its entirety — a generally rare practice for musicians to do for their tour performances. Aside from their latest album, Magdalena Bay also performed crowd favorites such as “Dreamcatching” and “Killshot,” which became popular on social media earlier in its career.

In terms of fashion, the Magdalena Bay science fiction aesthetic was captured both on and off stage as well. Some attendees wore angel wings as a direct correlation to the song “Angel on a Satellite.” Tenenbaum herself opted for several different outfit changes during the performance to reference specific music video moments, ranging from a sunflower to adorning a cape and faux flame collar piece.

As the show slowly reached a closing point, Tenenbaum took the time to thank both the musicians on stage with Magdalena Bay and the audience in attendance at the Fonda Theatre.

“That’s Matt, I’m Mica, we’re Magdalena Bay and we love you! Alright sing it with me one last time,” Tenenbaum said.

Magdalena Bay finished its electrifying performance with the song “The Beginning,” from the “Mercurial World” album — a fitting finale to the end of the beginning to its tour. Magdalena Bay will begin its global tour for “Imaginal Disk” on Nov. 7, performing at the 2024 Iceland Airwaves Music Festival in Reykjavik, Iceland.